Center's play hurts Hoosiers

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan State freshman center Zach Randolph won the Class 4-A IHSAA state championship at Marion High School last year, but his friend, IU freshman forward Jared Jeffries, won the Mr. Basketball award.\nApparently, that didn't sit well with Randolph.\nHe banged, bruised and muscled his way to 14 points against Jeffries and the Hoosiers in Michigan State's 66-57 victory Tuesday.\nJeffries scored nine points and made only four of 15 shots while grabbing five rebounds.\n"Jared is growing game by game, and all I can do is talk to him and develop him," interim head coach Mike Davis said. "He's talented, can put the ball on the floor and shoot the basketball, and when you have skills like that, you try to overplay. He was up for this game. He wanted to win this game bad."\nRandolph led the Spartans to a 33-23 halftime score with nine points in the half. On one play, Randolph collected an errant pass about 12 feet from the basket, dribbled and muscled his way through Jeffries to the rim. He missed the shot, but grabbed the rebound and easily layed it back in. \n"In the first half, they were too strong and physical for us, and we gave up too many offensive rebounds," Davis said. "They scored 16 second-chance points in the first half. That's too much to give up."\nRandolph's ability to push Jeffries under the basket is understandable. Randolph is 6-foot-9, 270 pounds, while Jeffries is 6-foot-9, 220. But Randolph isn't just big, he's athletic. Early in the second half, when Jeffries made a spin move and appeared to have a clean look at the basket, Randolph recovered and blocked the shot.\n"I think Zach Randolph had the best defensive game of his life," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. "I thought he played more inspired tonight." \nMichigan State displayed its dominance on the boards. Michigan State had 13 offensive rebounds in the first half compared to IU's four. Michigan State held a 27-14 rebounding advantage at the break. \n"They killed us on the boards in the first half," junior guard Dane Fife said. "Our guards have to go and get some rebounds." \nJunior forward Jarrad Odle said IU did a better job of rebounding in the second half. Statistics support his statement. Each team grabbed 17 rebounds in the second half, leaving the Spartans to finish with a 44-31 rebounding advantage. \nSpartan senior center David Thomas also contributed to Michigan State's rebounding dominance. His four first-half rebounds all came on the offensive end.\n"He hurt us. He attacked the glass like a madman," Davis said. "For some reason it was hard for us to block him out."\nRandolph led all players with nine rebounds.\nIn addition to his state title trophy, Randolph was the MVP of the McDonald's All-American game, was a USA Today and Parade All-American and MVP of the Nike Hoop Summit. IU recruited him, but he chose Michigan State. \nJeffries' resume includes Gatorade Player of the Year, McDonald's All-American, IHSAA Trester Award Winner and member of the USA Men's Junior Select Hoops Summit Team.\nBoth would like to add the Big Ten Freshman of the Year trophy to their mantles. Randolph is averaging 11.2 points and seven rebounds per game. Jeffries is averaging 14.7 points and eight rebounds per game. When asked if he got the better of Jeffries, Randolph dodged the question.\n"That's something for us to talk about," he said with a grin. "There will be many more battles"